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More About Doc

“They say these days if you want to get people’s attention you’ve got to be a magician. I say that’s not enough anymore.” – Doc Anderson

Erik “Doc” Anderson isn’t the kind of person you meet every day.

He grew up on carnival midways, and parimutuel tracks surrounded by carnies, horse-traders and gamblers (his family business was horse racing). He learned the art of the pitch and the fast talk, as well as a number of classic swindles and con games. In addition to that, he apprenticed for 7 years to learn the REAL secrets of the magicians and illusionists. And if all that wasn’t enough, his mother was a spirit medium, so he also learned the secret arts of fortune tellers,psychics, and spirit mediums.

A Gifted Entertainer

Doc has entertained groups of all kinds for three decades. He’s done hundreds of school assemblies for students of all ages from kindergarten to college level. He was the magician in residence at Champps Americana restaurant for ten years. He’s worked for corporate clients like Fisher Controls, the U.S. Postal Service and Shell Oil. He even toured fairs with his own old-time medicine wagon show for nearly a decade making him one of the last honest-to-goodness old-fashioned outdoor showmen. (That’s also how he earned the name “Doc.”)

An Award-Winning Presenter and Educator

Doc isn’t a just a speaker. He’s an old-school orator. He’s led workshops on public speaking and story-telling. He’s taken state honors in persuasive and after-dinner speaking. And he’s presented at the prestigious William Jennings Bryant Competition For Original Oratory. In addition, he was given the inaugural Iowa Energy Educator of the Year award for his school assembly program “Energy Resourcery.” He’s taught college-level programs on alternative presentations in classrooms for teachers and education majors. He was part of a delegation that represented the United States before the Canadian Ministry of Education to showcase U.S. energy education programs (and was made an honorary Energy Educator of Ontario). And he was named an “Outstanding Iowan” by Governor Tom Vilsack

A Passionate Advocate

Doc has done all this despite having a disability (Cerebral Palsy). As a result, he has also been a life long advocate for inclusion and equality. He’s worked as an advocate for children with disabilities in public schools and served two terms on the Iowa Special Education Advisory Panel. He’s also served on the Governor’s Equal Employment Task Force and fought for equity in employment in state government as Iowa’s ADA/Affirmative Action/Diversity Coordinator.